What does "everyone who has this hope" mean in 1 John 3:3? The Text “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3) What “this hope” refers to • The immediate context (3:2) defines it: “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” • It is the settled expectation that Christ will appear and believers will be fully conformed to His likeness—body, soul, and spirit (Philippians 3:20-21). • Scripture calls it “the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Who “everyone” encompasses • All genuine children of God (3:1-2). No class distinction; every believer shares this destiny. • The universality stresses that the following action—“purifies himself”—is not optional for a subset of Christians; it is characteristic of all who are truly born again. What it means to “have” the hope • “Have” is present-tense possession, not mere intellectual assent. • To have it is to cling to it, find identity in it, and order life around it (Hebrews 6:11). • It is anchored “in Him”—our hope is inseparable from Christ Himself (Colossians 1:27). How this hope shapes daily life • Motivation for purity: because we will be like Him then, we pursue likeness now. • Ongoing cooperation with the Spirit: we “work out” what God “works in” (Philippians 2:12-13). • Practical choices—thought life, entertainment, relationships—are filtered through the lens of anticipating Christ’s return (1 Peter 1:13-16). • The verb “purifies” echoes Old-Testament ceremonial cleansing yet applies morally: resisting sin, confessing quickly, walking in the light (1 John 1:7-9). Related Scriptures that illuminate the phrase • Romans 8:23-25 — we groan, waiting eagerly for adoption’s fullness; “in this hope we were saved.” • 1 Peter 1:3-4 — a “living hope” through the resurrection, leading to an imperishable inheritance. • 2 Corinthians 7:1 — “Having these promises… let us purify ourselves from all defilement.” • Hebrews 10:23 — “Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Putting it all together “Everyone who has this hope” points to every true believer who presently grips the certain promise of being perfectly transformed at Christ’s appearing. That secure anticipation is not passive; it energizes an active, ongoing sanctification, proving the genuineness of the hope and mirroring the purity of the One we long to see. |
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